Aslef chief sacked for 'forging reference'

The deputy chief of Aslef, the train drivers' union, has been sacked.

The dismissal of Mick Blackburn, deputy general secretary, comes only days after the sacking of Shaun Brady, the union leader. Both will now launch appeals against their dismissals.

Mr Blackburn was sacked after being found guilty by a union disciplinary hearing of forging a reference for his son to enable him to gain work at Aslef.

He admitted writing a reference, but denied it was a forgery.

A second accusation, of downloading pornography on a union computer, was withdrawn through lack of evidence.

Both Mr Brady and Mr Blackburn were suspended - along with others - from office in May following a brawl at a barbecue, but their sackings were not as a result of that incident.

Supporters of Mr Brady, an admitted Blairite who won control of the union in a surprise victory last year against Left-winger Mick Rix, say the sackings by Aslef 's Left-dominated controlling executive committee are politically motivated - a charge denied by the union.